Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment: a dedicated CubeSat mission to study exoplanetary mass loss and magnetic fields

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a near-UV (2550 to 3300  Å) 6U CubeSat mission designed to monitor transiting hot Jupiters to quantify their atmospheric mass loss and magnetic fields. CUTE will probe both atomic (Mg and Fe) and molecular (OH) lines for evidence of enhanced transit absorption, and to search for evidence of early ingress due to bow shocks ahead of the planet’s orbital motion. As a dedicated mission, CUTE will observe ≳100 spectroscopic transits of hot Jupiters over a nominal 7-month mission. This represents the equivalent of <700 orbits of the only other instrument capable of these measurements, the Hubble Space Telescope. CUTE efficiently utilizes the available CubeSat volume by means of an innovative optical design to achieve a projected effective area of ∼28  cm^2, low instrumental background, and a spectral resolving power of R∼3000 over the primary science bandpass. These performance characteristics enable CUTE to discern transit depths between 0.1% and 1% in individual spectral absorption lines. We present the CUTE optical and mechanical design, a summary of the science motivation and expected results, and an overview of the projected fabrication, calibration, and launch timeline

Improving reproductive efficiency in the ram: the role and applications of the neurohormone melatonin

Reproductive seasonality is perceived as a limiting factor for Australia’s sheep industry, with the non-breeding period characterised by reduced productivity. Melatonin, the natural regulator of ovine reproduction, has been proclaimed as a possible strategy to surmount this issue. Despite successful application in the ewe, the extent of effects of melatonin treatment in the ram is yet to be elucidated. This thesis explores how melatonin can be applied in the ram to mitigate the decrease in reproductive efficiency occurring in the non-breeding season, with the overarching aim of improving ram productivity and reproductive competence. The findings of this thesis further clarify how melatonin influences ram reproductive seasonality, and its direct effects upon spermatozoa. Moreover, these collective studies provide evidence that reproductive seasonality is not as detrimental to ram fertility as previously postulated. Herein, it is demonstrated that melatonin improves the functionality of cryopreserved ram spermatozoa, increasing sperm motility and DNA integrity, likely through suppression of mitochondrial superoxide production. Additionally, as a slow-release implant, melatonin alters ram testicular function, upregulating testicular size, sperm production and ram libido, and confers subtle improvements to the functionality of cryopreserved spermatozoa from implanted rams. Collectively, these studies reveal compelling evidence for a lack of pronounced reproductive seasonality in the ram, finding little difference in ram fertility, semen quality, or epigenetic modifications to spermatozoa between seasons. Through validation of the role and applications of melatonin in ram reproduction, this thesis has directly contributed to tangible outcomes in the Australian sheep industry

Supports, Not Citations. Community Supports as an Alternative to School Citations

The Racial and Ethnic Disparities Team has developed an alternative to citations written in schools. The RED Matrix was developed to assist in providing positive, preventative, and proactive support, in lieu of a citation. This program allows youth the time to grow socially, emotionally and stay safe in the school environment; without entering the juvenile justice system through Municipal Court

Ancestral lineages of dietary exposure to an endocrine disrupting chemical drive distinct forms of transgenerational subfertility in an insect model

Abstract Across the globe, many species of insects are facing population decline. This is largely driven by anthropogenic changes to the environment, including the widespread exposure of invertebrates to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which impair fertility. To test whether generations of Drosophila melanogaster born from parents exposed to a common dietary EDC, equol, could recover reproductive function, we quantified the reproductive capacity of the two subsequent generations. Using a novel suite of flow cytometry assays to assess sperm functionality in real time, we find that sperm function is compromised across three generations, even after non-exposed in individuals contribute to the breeding population. Though the sex ratio alters in response to EDC exposure, favouring the survival of female offspring, most lineages with ancestral EDC exposure exhibit persistent subfertility in both the male and female. Male offspring with ancestral EDC exposure present with reduced fertility and dysfunctional spermatozoa, whereby spermatozoa are metabolically stressed, lack DNA integrity and present with permanent epigenetic alterations. Across generations, male and female offspring demonstrate distinct patterns of reproductive characteristics, depending upon the specific lineage of EDC exposure. Our results illustrate how dietary EDCs present in agricultural plants could promote transgenerational subfertility and contribute to declining insect populations

Behavioural and physiological responses to stressors in sheep with temperament classified by genotype or phenotype

Abstract The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs107856856, located in the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene, is associated with the behavioural phenotype for sheep temperament measured at weaning. Here, we tested the association between that SNP and physiological and behavioural responses to stressors in adult sheep. Two groups of adult sheep, one with genotype A/A (calm genotype) and the other with G/G (nervous genotype) in rs107856856, were selected from 160 sheep and were exposed, twice, to an open-field arena and an isolation box test (IBT). During each repeat, the behaviour and physiological responses (cortisol, prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], brain derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], characteristics of the response of body temperature, and oxidative stress) were measured. The behavioural and physiological responses of the sheep were compared between genotypes and also between groups classified on their phenotype as assessed by their initial isolation box score (“low responders” and “high responders”). The SNP rs107856856 had some effects on the behavioural phenotype (IBT score) but no effects on the physiological response to stress (cortisol, prolactin, DHEA, BDNF, oxidative stress or changes in body temperature) in the adult sheep, probably because the sheep were exposed, and therefore had adapted, to human contact during their life

Increasing the Yield and Cryosurvival of Spermatozoa from Rhinoceros Ejaculates Using the Enzyme Papain

The preservation of rhinoceros semen is vital for captive breeding programs. While successful collection and cryopreservation of rhinoceros semen has been reported, the volume and quality of semen produced is often low due to the high viscosity associated with ejaculates collected via electroejaculation. Reducing semen viscosity would enable access to previously unusable spermatozoa from viscous fractions and could improve quality post-thaw. The enzyme papain successfully reduced the viscosity of camelid semen but has yet to be tested in wildlife species. This study assessed the influence of papain on the in vitro quality of rhinoceros spermatozoa during cryopreservation using advanced semen assessment. In experiment 1, the motility of spermatozoa from the viscous fraction of an ejaculate, either untreated or treated with papain and its inhibitor E-64 prior to cryopreservation, was assessed post-thaw. In experiment 2, spermatozoa from papain-treated viscous fractions were compared to spermatozoa frozen from untreated sperm-rich fractions pre-freeze, as well as after 0, 1.5 and 3 h of incubation post-thaw (37 &deg;C). Papain significantly increased the quantity of spermatozoa collected from ejaculates, as well as the motility prior to freezing. Papain also improved the post-thaw motility, velocity, linearity and straightness of samples compared to sperm-rich samples, with no detriment to sperm viability, lipid membrane disorder, production of ROS or DNA integrity (p &lt; 0.05). Results show the benefit of supplementing rhinoceros spermatozoa with papain prior to cryopreservation on sperm cryosurvival and demonstrates the potential of using papain to improve the success of cryopreservation protocols, not only for the rhinoceros, but also for other wildlife species

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE): a dedicated cubesat mission for the study of exoplanetary mass loss and magnetic fields

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a near-UV (2550 to 3300 angstrom) 6U CubeSat mission designed to monitor transiting hot Jupiters to quantify their atmospheric mass loss and magnetic fields. CUTE will probe both atomic (Mg and Fe) and molecular (OH) lines for evidence of enhanced transit absorption, and to search for evidence of early ingress due to bow shocks ahead of the planet's orbital motion. As a dedicated mission, CUTE will observe greater than or similar to 100 spectroscopic transits of hot Jupiters over a nominal 7-month mission. This represents the equivalent of >700 orbits of the only other instrument capable of these measurements, the Hubble Space Telescope. CUTE efficiently utilizes the available CubeSat volume by means of an innovative optical design to achieve a projected effective area of similar to 28 cm(2), low instrumental background, and a spectral resolving power of R similar to 3000 over the primary science bandpass. These performance characteristics enable CUTE to discern transit depths between 0.1% and 1% in individual spectral absorption lines. We present the CUTE optical and mechanical design, a summary of the science motivation and expected results, and an overview of the projected fabrication, calibration, and launch timeline. (c) 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [NNX17AI84G]No embargo.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment: a dedicated CubeSat mission to study exoplanetary mass loss and magnetic fields

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a near-UV (2550 to 3300 angstrom) 6U CubeSat mission designed to monitor transiting hot Jupiters to quantify their atmospheric mass loss and magnetic fields. CUTE will probe both atomic (Mg and Fe) and molecular (OH) lines for evidence of enhanced transit absorption, and to search for evidence of early ingress due to bow shocks ahead of the planet's orbital motion. As a dedicated mission, CUTE will observe greater than or similar to 100 spectroscopic transits of hot Jupiters over a nominal 7-month mission. This represents the equivalent of >700 orbits of the only other instrument capable of these measurements, the Hubble Space Telescope. CUTE efficiently utilizes the available CubeSat volume by means of an innovative optical design to achieve a projected effective area of similar to 28 cm(2), low instrumental background, and a spectral resolving power of R similar to 3000 over the primary science bandpass. These performance characteristics enable CUTE to discern transit depths between 0.1% and 1% in individual spectral absorption lines. We present the CUTE optical and mechanical design, a summary of the science motivation and expected results, and an overview of the projected fabrication, calibration, and launch timeline. (c) 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) [NNX17AI84G]No embargo.This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE): a dedicated cubesat mission for the study of exoplanetary mass loss and magnetic fields

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a near-UV (2550 - 3300 angstrom) 6U cubesat mission designed to monitor transiting hot Jupiters to quantify their atmospheric mass loss and magnetic fields. CUTE will probe both atomic (Mg and Fe) and molecular (OH) lines for evidence of enhanced transit absorption, and to search for evidence of early ingress due to bow shocks ahead of the planet's orbital motion. As a dedicated mission, CUTE will observe greater than or similar to 60 spectroscopic transits of hot Jupiters over a nominal seven month mission. This represents the equivalent of > 700 orbits of the only other instrument capable of these measurements, the Hubble Space Telescope. CUTE efficiently utilizes the available cubesat volume by means of an innovative optical design to achieve a projected effective area of similar to 22 cm(2), low instrumental background, and a spectral resolving power of R similar to 3000 over the entire science bandpass. These performance characteristics enable CUTE to discern a transit depth of less than or similar to 1% in individual spectral absorption lines. We present the CUTE optical and mechanical design, a summary of the science motivation and expected results, and an overview of the projected fabrication, calibration and launch timeline.NASA [NNX17AI84G]This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]